Hydrothermal vent fields

Project description

The imminent start of mining poses risks to hydrothermal vents, including habitat removal, vent-fluid change, toxic mining plumes, and associated risks of biodiversity loss. Several intergovernmental organizations suggest that active vents classify as areas in need of conservation. The international community has adopted commitments and targets on using ABMTs for conservation (e.g. UN Sustainable Development Goals) and legal obligations will be included in the ‘BBNJ Agreement’ under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that is currently under negotiation.

The dimensions of ABMTs are of key importance for their ability to protect vents against external mining impacts. An active vent field is a spatially associated cluster of active and inactive chimneys/mounds. Mining impacts may damage active and inactive vents, nonhydrothermal sediments and the benthic and pelagic surroundings within and beyond a vent field. Most environmental research has focused on active chimneys. Unknown, however, is the ecological connectivity between active chimneys and their benthic and pelagic surroundings. Focused research on this connectivity is required to determine the necessary three-dimensional size of ABMTs.

Optimizing ABMTs in terms of operational effectiveness must be supplemented by optimizing regulatory effectiveness through integrating ABMTs in the ISA’s regulatory framework. ISA regulations refer to various types of ABMTs (e.g. Impact reference zones and Preservation reference zones). It is not clear, however, if these can be used and are suitable for the envisaged 3-dimensional ABMTs to protect vents and, if not, what the opportunities and constraints of alternative options are. This requires in-depth international law research on ISA’s regulations, founding instruments and other relevant international instruments (e.g. the BBNJ Agreement) and best practices thereunder.

Main goals

1. Contribute novel data on the ecological role of active chimneys for the vent field and beyond and vice versa, through the use of samples collected on vent fields at the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
2. Assess whether the ISA’s existing ABMTs can be used and are suitable for ABMTs determined as optimal (under goal 1 above) and, if not, what the opportunities and constraints of alternative options are.
3. Collaborate with representatives from governments, the ISA, the industry and NGOs, so that stakeholders may use our results to progress plans for mining in an environmentally sustainable manner.